Team USA’s World Cup basketball team just did exactly what they needed to

Berlin, Germany - September 7, 2026 - The United States women’s basketball team demonstrated resilience following a challenging game against Italy, securing a dominant 105-64 victory against Czechia on Monday. This win brought their record in Group Play to an impressive 3-0, alongside victories over China, Italy, and Czechia. Currently, they are among the three teams that have directly advanced to the quarterfinals, alongside France and Belgium.

Despite their undefeated start, the team’s performance against Italy had been inconsistent. They managed to secure a narrow 3-point win in a game where only one player, Jackie Young, scored double-digit points. However, just 24 hours later, the US women showcased a completely different level of play. They outscored their opponents in the first half of their Monday match (57 points) compared to Italy’s game (55 points), with Sunday marking the team’s lowest-scoring World Cup game since 1971.

Team USA’s strong performance against Czechia was a full-team effort, with six players contributing double-digit points. Breanna Stewart led the scoring with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists; Angel Reese contributed 12 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals; Napheesa Collier scored 12 points and grabbed 6 rebounds; Jackie Young added 12 points and 3 assists; Paige Bueckers had 10 points, 5 assists, and 2 blocks; and Sonia Citron contributed 10 points and 7 rebounds.

Caitlin Clark added 9 points and 7 assists, while Kiki Iriafen scored 7 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. The team’s defensive effort was noteworthy as well, tallying an impressive 32 assists in the game – nearly three times the 11 assists they collected just the previous day against Italy.